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Pershing's Kahlil Felder defends as Romulus's E.C. Matthews take the ball up the floor during the third quarter at Calihan Hall. Matthews led Romulus with 29 points. / Kirthmon F. Dozier/Detroit Free Press

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Justin Tillman had given Detroit Pershing a one-point lead with 1:10 left in the season, but the next time Jalon Plummer touched the ball he was standing in the corner behind the three-point arch and didn't hesitate.

The Romulus senior launched the biggest shot of his life, and it hit nothing but net.

"I've never been in a situation like this," Plummer said. "I just wanted practice tomorrow. I didn't want to end my season on a bad note."

His next practice will be in the fall when he is a freshman at Missouri.

Clark hasn't practiced since he was carried off the court last Wednesday in the regional final when tendinitis in his right patella flared up.

And really, if you want to get technical about it, he hasn't walked since then.

"I need a crutch or something," Clark said Tuesday after leading No. 2 Romulus to a heart-stopping 93-91 victory over unbeaten and top-ranked Pershing in a Class A quarterfinal before a gigantic crowd at Detroit Mercy's Calihan Hall.

E.C. Matthews led Romulus (25-1) with 29 points, and Leo Edwards and Plummer each scored 15, but the reason the Eagles will play Grand Rapids Christian in Friday's 1 p.m. semifinal is Clark.

Until he received an anti-inflammatory shot Tuesday afternoon, Clark wasn't going to be able to play.

"It didn't kick in for 30 minutes," he said in the locker room. "It took some of the pain away, but I still feel it. And now that the shot is wearing off. It's getting bad."

The pain couldn't match the pain Clark and his teammates felt after beating Pershing here last year, then losing in the semifinals.

That is why Clark insisted on playing, even though his mobility was severely limited.

"I couldn't bend my knee as fast, and I didn't have the same amount of explosion as I usually have changing speeds," he said. "I was lacking wind because I haven't practiced in a week."

But he was able to be effective, scoring 17 points. He picked his spots when to turn it on.

Romulus controlled most of the game and was ahead by six with 3:19 left when it committed three straight turnovers. Kahlil Felder (28 points) and Martez Walker (21) combined to give Pershing (25-1) the lead before Plummer's triple put Romulus ahead for good.

Clark had no idea he was going to play, but once he stepped on the court he wasn't coming out, except for an occasional rest.

"If I'm going to start, I'm going to finish," he said. "If I'm going to go out there and put it all on the floor, I'm going to leave it out there, so there's no reason for me to start and then tell them I can't play."

Matthews had moments of brilliance, but he also missed a wide-open dunk, which led to a five-point swing for Pershing.